Ohio State football: 6 Buckeyes who will be 1st-round NFL draft picks

3. Tyreke Smith, DE

The Ohio State football program has built a big reputation for producing edge rushers with Joey Bosa, Nick Bosa and Chase Young taking the league by storm.

Smith has flown under the radar, but he could potentially be the next quarterback hunter to hit the NFL.

That said, the team drafting Smith will be doing so with potential in mind. He has the tools. It looked like he was taking off as a junior playing opposite of Young in 2019, but injuries cut into his production.

In 2020, he played in just four games. He terrorized Clemson by forcing a fumble and knocking down a pass at the line of scrimmage. He also came up big against Michigan State Dec. 5, with a sack and three total tackles in what was a blowout victory.

He was ruled out vs Alabama for the national title game, so we’ll have to see what transpires in the offseason. With a year of eligibility remaining, Smith could always return to school to try and boost his stock. If not, he could go late in the first round.